


Dilemma

by Elisexyz



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Season/Series 02, Some Very Minor Swanfire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:34:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22375015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elisexyz/pseuds/Elisexyz
Summary: “I’m hungry,” Henry says, with a little unhappy grimace twisting his face.Neal glances at the clock and — well. There’s a parental crisis incoming, apparently.
Relationships: Baelfire | Neal Cassidy & Henry Mills
Comments: 10
Kudos: 15





	Dilemma

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [this Tumblr prompt asking for Daddyfire fluff](https://heytheredeann.tumblr.com/post/190702401184/pleas-eplease-some-daddyfire-fluff-they-need-more). It's set somewhere in s2, while Neal was in Storybrooke, assuming that he stayed a while (I usually work on the assumption that his stay was a month-ish long).

“Dad?”

In spite of having heard it said many times already, Neal’s heart still skips a beat whenever he hears Henry calling him that.

“Yeah?” he replies, a smile bubbling at his lips as he turns towards the bed, deciding that Henry’s clothes can definitely be parked on that chair for the night. In his defence, his room at Granny’s is not exactly a whole apartment, he has to make do.

Henry is sitting with his legs crossed and a few comic books scattered around him. They had been going over them together, Neal mostly just enraptured by his son’s enthusiastic oversharing.

“I’m hungry,” Henry says, with a little unhappy grimace twisting his face.

Neal glances at the clock and — well. There’s a parental crisis incoming, apparently.

“Buddy, it’s almost time to go to bed,” he points out, the memory of Emma telling him to make sure that he doesn’t make him be late for school fresh in his mind.

Letting Henry sleep over at his temporary place is a new thing, a little experiment that Emma agreed to a bit reluctantly and probably only because it was per Henry’s own request, and Neal would rather not screw it up.

He has been enjoying his extra hours with his son, and Tamara was even nice enough to get settled in another room for the night, so that they can have some bonding time undisturbed.

(Sometimes he really has to wonder _how_ he managed to find such a wonderful and understanding woman to marry.)

“But I’m _hungry_ ,” Henry insists, and, well — what matters is getting him to school in time, right? And they didn’t have a big dinner or anything, Neal is kinda hungry too, now that he thinks about it. And it’s not like they are going to eat a whole turkey by themselves, and Henry isn’t going to be able to fall asleep anyway if his stomach is wailing, is he?

So, really, the only reasonable thing to do is getting him something small to eat so he can sleep happily and be ready for school in the morning. It just makes sense. It definitely has nothing to do with Henry’s giant, pleading eyes and the way Neal’s heart started weeping at the thought of telling him no.

“Yeah, okay, me too,” Neal eventually gives in. He immediately gets rewarded by a triumphant smile, which he can’t help reciprocating. “Let’s see what I’ve got here —” he mutters, turning around to the corner where he knows he has stashed some snacks, because he sometimes gets hungry and he likes to always have something within reach.

He finds a big bag of Cheetos, two bags of M&Ms and a bunch of candy bars.

“Will these do?” he asks, holding up the Cheetos.

Henry grins from ear to ear. “Totally!” he says, with so much emphasis that he bounces a little on the bed.

Neal snorts in amusement, grabbing the bag and highlighting: “Just don’t tell your mother, or she’ll have my head.”

“Cross my heart!” Henry announces, happily taking the bag from him as soon as he’s within reach.

He puts an handful of Cheetos in his mouth, still grinning, and for a second he looks a hell of a lot like Emma, or Emma as Neal remembers her, sitting cross legged in the back of their car and declaring that snacks absolutely do count as dinner, especially when you are broke.

The resemblance makes his stomach twist painfully, even as his lips twist in a fond smile.

For better or worse, there _was_ something good that came out of him and Emma being together, and he wouldn’t trade him for the world.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates comments, including: 
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Questions
>   * “<3” as extra kudos
>   * Reader-reader interaction
> 

> 
> If you don’t want a reply, for any reason, feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!


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